Cellular, Wi-Fi and Wired Connectivity Solutions for OSIsoft PI System

22 Oct 2018
HMS Industrial Networks has introduced cellular, WiFi and wired connectivity solutions for OSIsoft PI System without the need for a PI interface or PI connector. The connectivity solution for the PI Historian leverages the Web API to push data directly to the PI System. Read the entire article now!

HMS introduces cellular, WiFi and wired connectivity solutions for OSIsoft PI System without the need for a PI interface or PI connector.

The OSIsoft PI System is the most popular historian solution in the market today. OSIsoft has spent decades refining the system to ensure manufactures can capture data from any system. Interfaces to the system include direct file data upload, manual entry, Web API and of course PI connectors/interfaces.

HMS is releasing a connectivity solution for the PI System that leverages the Web API to push data directly to the PI System. By doing this HMS eliminates the need for an additional PC running a PI connector/interface element. This reduces cost and simplifies the system.

The solution is enabled on the eWON Flexy gateway which contains a full set of remote access and remote data features combined in a single gateway with data access drivers for all major PLC vendors including Siemens, Rockwell, Mitsubishi, Schneider and others.

Benefits of the Flexy Data Access Solution:

Pull data from any PLC

Add additional sensors to existing systems

Fully integrated cellular modem eliminates the need for an addition modem

Secure encrypted data path

VPN access to any system for engineering access

Benefits of using an all in one data access solution:

Reduce change of failure by reducing system components

Improve security

Lower total cost

Smaller system footprint

Lower cost of support and maintenance

The value of data is ever increasing but most data still goes unrecorded or is inaccurately recorded based on human errors. Flexy offers a easy to use solution to capture and record more data to your current OSIsoft PI System.

Reasons data does not get recorded:

PLC systems that lack a network connection

Sensors that are unconnected or unmonitored

Manually recorded information that is not recorded consistently or accurately

Operations teams lack an easy way to pull data from current systems

The eWON Flexy solution address these problems in several ways. Unmonitored sensors including serial (RS-232, RS-485), digital (0-10V) and analog (4-20mA) devices can be connected directly to the Flexy. Flexy supports multiple PLC drivers allowing data to easily be pulled from any PLC without software development. The platform is easily configured using a web interface allowing non-technical personal to configure the solution. By automating data collection errors from human data entry can be eliminated.

How does it work? The HMS Flexy supports a Java based application. HMS has developed a Java application that captures data leveraging the Flexy I/O server and sends that data to the defined PI System. User need only to modify a few key parameters in the application to define the PI System connection.

Users then download that application to the Flexy. Once enabled all I/O data defined on the Flexy is pushed to the PI System.